A coalition of advocacy groups are calling for a special session of the Nebraska Legislature to address racial justice and police reform issues.

In a joint letter, the ACLU of Nebraska and its partners point to listening sessions held in June by the Judiciary Committee, and they argue action has fallen short of what is expected by Black Nebraskans and their allies.

“We request action from our elected leaders,” the letter reads in part. “We request that they commit to actual change and ensure that policies are passed that will truly increase accountability in our police forces across the state and to ensure justice and equal protection for people of color. Reform must be a focused agenda item and to ensure its priority, we urge that this item be addressed now in a session solely dedicated to it.”

The coalition – made up of the ACLU of Nebraska, Academy of Equity, Black and Pink, Black Leaders Movement, Change Now, Change of Omaha, Educators for Black Lives, I Be Black Girl, the Lincoln Branch of the NAACP and the UNL Black Student Union – said Monday morning that the problems cannot wait until the next session, which begins in January 2021.

“Now is the time for an actual commitment and action to address these problems,” the letter says.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts could convene a special session, as could an agreement by two-thirds of state senators. Special sessions in Nebraska are focused, and state law prohibits business that’s outside the scope. They have been used in recent years for the Keystone XL pipeline, a safe haven law and budget concerns.

“Our communities deserve for the Nebraska Legislature to keep our health and safety at the forefront of all that they do,” said Dominique Morgan of Black and Pink. “In order for the people who are most impacted by oppressive systems to have access to health and safety, our state must prioritize defunding the police and seeking true alternatives to policing, including investing in community care and resources.”